The killing of a Mont Vernon woman over the weekend has given rise to a number of questions. One of them is how the killing could have been prevented.

In court Tuesday, investigators said 17-year-old Steven Spader hit Kimberly Cates with a machete while 19-year-old Christopher Gribble stabbed her with a knife while she was in her bed. Investigators said Spader also struck Cates' 11-year-old daughter with a machete.

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Also accused are 18-year-old William Marks and 17-year-old Quinn Glover. The two were charged with burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary and armed robbery.

Many have asked if there are signs that a teenager may be heading for trouble. Psychologists said that there are some signs a teen could be changing for the worse, but often what could be seen as unusual is quite normal for the age.

Experts said that parents may see wild swings in behavior and while it's important to keep an eye on them, it's not necessarily an indication that something is seriously wrong.

Dr. Eric Mart is a forensic psychologist who often works with troubled teens. He said that while there isn't a handbook for knowing if a young person is headed for trouble, there are some broad indicators that bear watching.

Mart detailed some of the signs.

"Social withdrawal -- all of a sudden a child is not interested in the things they used to be interested in. They quit all their sports teams, change their appearance. Sometimes it can be perfectly normal, but if it goes on for a while it's worth checking in to," said Mart.

Mart said extreme levels of violence in teens is rare and sometimes relatively easy to predict. Mart said if a child lays violent hands on another child at a young age and it continues and escalates it can be a sign.

"The best predictor of the future is the past," said Mart.

Ken Snow, of the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester, said that while parents need to be involved in their children's lives, adolescence can be a trying time and acts of rebellion shouldn't be confused with deep-seeded problems.

"Teenagers are teenagers. Sometimes they dress funny, they act funny. They sometimes want to take on anti-establishment stances," said Snow. "(They're) sort of opposed to the adult world and it's all normal steps to achieving independence."

Snow and Mart both say that parents are always the first step toward helping kids through a tough time, but in some cases, professional help should be sought.